Next week takes on new look for Chicago Bears

CHICAGO — Instead of a matchup of star quarterbacks for two of the best teams in the NFL, next week’s Monday Night Football game could come down to a showdown between Jason Campbell and Colin Kaepernick.

CHICAGO — Instead of a matchup of star quarterbacks for two of the best teams in the NFL, next week’s Monday Night Football game could come down to a showdown between Jason Campbell and Colin Kaepernick.

The Bears will take on the 49ers next Monday night, and it could be an Alex Smith-less team. San Francisco’s starting quarterback Smith was hit in the neck and head in the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Rams, and later left in the second quarter with a concussion. Smith left with his team down 14-7 after going 7-for-8 for 72 yards with a touchdown. He was replaced by Colin Kaepernick, who went 11-for-17 for 172 yards in a 10-10 tie. Smith has the fourth-best passer rating in the league at 102.1, and will most likely be tested for concussion symptoms this week.

As for the Bears, their starter Jay Cutler did not return for the second half of Sunday night’s loss to Houston after suffering a first-half concussion himself. There is no timetable for his return.

Weather not a factor

Although it looked like weather was going to play a big factor in Sunday’s game, it didn’t. Heavy rains and strong and gusty winds continued throughout the afternoon and into pregame, but early on things died down. The winds were a steady 20 mph, gusting to 33 mph, at kickoff, but dropped to 8 mph early in the first quarter. The flags on both goal posts were basically quiet all night.

McClellin down also

Rookie defensive end Shea McClellin left Sunday’s game with a concussion that he suffered in the first half. The extent of the injury, and how long he will be out, was not disclosed after the game.